The Osceola times., 1887-04-30

| '"s' ptoiSt' Soint anu lpok oNt.
this trunk. There's such an Internal
smell that we've come to the eonclu-
sion there's dead body in it,"
The door in the partition was made
of Stats or pickets, and could see ont
or one could see in. ! rose up. UNI
locked it, and went to the other end of
the car, where the three were grouped
about a large trunk.
Just put your nose down here"
said McCabe, his features at the same
time wearing look of deep disgust.
| bent over the trunk to get a sniff,
and the next instant the three men
seized me and bore me 10 the floor.
one of them having his fingers on my
throat so that ! could not utter sound.
They had lashings and a gag at hand,
and in three minutes | was tied hand
and foot, and as helpless as one could
be.
''Sorry to use You this way. George. -
said the baggagcman as he fastened
the gag in my mouth. "but We mu t
have that money, and we didn't want
to crack you on the head. Now then,
| boys"
One of them opened the sliding door
while the other two went after the safe.
ldon't suppose twas five minutes from
the time they seized me until they had
thrown the safe out and followed il.
My feet were lashed to the handle of q
trunk. my elbows pulled behind me
and tied, and the gag would not per-
NIT me to utter a sound. There was
nothing to do but to let them 90. but
| had had good look at both the
strangers, and | went to work TO paint
their portraits on my memory.
My condition was discovered at the
first stop, and the loss of that money
raised an awful row. There was up
wards of $4,000 in the safe, but had
there been less than hundred the COM
pany was bound to get it back. got
off, against the advice of the conductor.
and telegraphed the fact of the robbery
and asked for instructions. While
awaiting an answer / took deputy
sheriff, both of us mounted on horses,
and rode back to the scene of the rob
berry. 1t was in June, and scarcely
had we started when thunder storm
came up. We rode right down the
railroad track until we were, as near
as could Judge, at the spot where tho
safe had been thrown out. i rcmem.
bered of the engineer whistling for a
crossing just before the men jumped,
and now l was going on the theory that
they had confcderates waiting at the
crossing for them and their p.under.
About half mile from this crossing
we had to leave the railroad track and
take to the woods, on account of a
trcstlc work over creek. During all
this time the lightning was striking
about ms with heavy crashes. and the
flashes were sometimes SO sharp that
the horses seemed dazed for mo-
ment.
When we finally struck the highway
we were half mile from the cross z.
The thunder end lightning had passed
over. but it was still raining heavily,
and the night was dark. We turned
to ride to the crossing. but had not
gone a hundred feet before / heard hui
man voices. Whoever they belonged
to were coming toward us, and we slip
ped off our horses and stood under the
trees at the edge of the highway. The
voices came nearer, and presently !
identified that of the bagg gageman as
he said:
Nobody is TO blame for it. but
we've lost precious time and must gel
ahead now"
After bit we made out three black
spots in the darkness, and ] heard a
sound which convinced me that the
safe was being carried by two of the
men. 1t weighed two hundred pounds
or more, and though provided with
handles was a dead weight to carry
under any circumstances. As the trio
came up we dashed at them with yell,
each of us having a drawn revolver.
got the baggageman, but one of the
strangers opened fire on the deputy
and wounded him, and both got away,
though they were run down inside of a
week. McCabe made q clean breast
of the matter, rs rogues often do. He
had been planning for weeks to rob me.
A confederate was to be at the crossing
with a team to haul off the safe, but he
was half an hour late. Then hardly
had they loaded up the safe when a bolt
of lightning prostrated an old stub and
killed one of the horses. He started of
after another, but was gone so long that
the robbers became impatient, and
thought 10 carry the safe to some more
secure spot BY the time | got tclc-
gram ordering me to Chicago to give
particulars had the money and one OF
the men, and | also gave the local OIL
GERS the clue to overhaul the others.
How was ! rewardel at headquarters
! was investigated, bulldozed laid un-
der suspicion and finally deprived of
my situation on the ground of careless
ness My testimony sent the three
men to prison, and the papers called
me a hero, but the express company
laid me aside without making charges
of any sort, and was never re-em-
ployed. ~ T. Sun.
Some Big Gold Nuggets.
Inuis Rlan1iup saws the oeuerall y